Where The Pandalily Sleeps
by panclarks
Summary: "I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where; I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close. (-Pablo Neruda)" Zutara (indefinite hiatus, read at own risk)
1. Prologue

**Mike and Bryan own the Avatar universe. I only play.**

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"...And what about this, daddy?" Izumi asked, her tiny fingers wiping off the dust from the blue Kabuki mask she retrieved from the large chest. "What's this? It's pretty!"

Zuko's eyebrows furrowed as he gently grabbed the item from his daughter's hands.

"This is nothing, sweetheart," He replied, smiling to himself. His pulse quickened, his excitement parallel to that of his daughter's upon laying eyes on the Blue Spirit's mask for the first time in years. "Daddy used to be in a play, and he had to wear this mask." Zuko lied.

Izumi's golden eyes widened in surprise. "You were in a play, daddy? What was it like? I've never seen a play before! Will you take me to see one soon?" She adjusted her legs in a cross-like position against the old, creaking floorboards, her fingers intertwined together and thrilled at the thought.

"I'll take you to one soon," Zuko promised, placing the palm of his right hand near his heart. "Daddy swears on his honor." Izumi beamed in response, and proceeded to dig her hands into the remaining pile of objects in the chest.

"We should go treasure-hunting more often, dad!" she giggled, and the Fire Lord watched his five-year-old in awe, her porcelain skin covered in blotches of dust and beads of sweat.

"And you know who else likes looking for treasure in the attic?" Zuko bellowed, smiling. "Pirates!

Arghh!"

Izumi laughed.

"Arghh!" Her father repeated playfully, suddenly grabbing her by the waist, enveloping her in a tight embrace. "For stealing me treasure, ye shall walk the plank!" Zuko said, trying to deepen his voice. Izumi burst in another fit of giggles, trying to escape.

"No, dad! I wanna be a pirate too! Not a hostage," she stuck her tongue out, making her way back towards the chest. "And since we're both pirates, you have to help me look for treasure as well. Okay?"

Zuko nodded sternly. "Aye, matey!" He cried, bending his index finger to create a makeshift pirate's hook. Izumi giggled again at his father's lack of impersonation skills, nodding back, and they both proceeded to dig their hands into the contents of the large wooden chest of Zuko's past belongings.

"Aye, dad! I found something!" Izumi called, and from her tiny hands she produced a small, elongated box, dusty and made of mahogany. Using her robes, she began wiping the box clean, and at this, Zuko grabbed the mahogany from her hands.

"Oh sweetheart, not your robes," he shook his head, wiping the dust off with his palms. "Your mother will be furiou—"

"Dad?" Izumi suddenly asked as her father stopped mid-sentence, her eyes curious. "What's wrong daddy?"

Zuko's gaze shifted from his daughter to the long, mahogany box before him. As too much dust had gathered on top of it, he carefully brushed it off, and, hands shaking, he slowly opened it, unconsciously ignoring her daughter's worry.

"Daddy?" Izumi asked again, but Zuko remained frozen on the spot, eyes gazing upon the contents of the box, his hands grazing upon the detail of the betrothal necklace that now lay on the palm of his hand.

The collar was a deep, midnight blue, and on its center rested a shard of an unknown, pearl-like gem—waves of water were carefully carved into it, engulfing what looked like a diminishing ball of fire, almost akin to the Fire Nation insignia.

"Dad?" Izumi asked again. From afar loud footsteps could be heard as they approached the small attic, but Zuko's silence lingered even as the footsteps drew closer.

Three knocks on the door surfaced. Zuko quickly snapped himself back into reality, registering his surroundings.

"Enter," he said sternly.

As the door opened, one of the Fire Servants appeared, his scarlet robes flowing down all the way to the floor.

"My lord," he bowed towards Zuko, and turned to Izumi afterwards. "Princess Izumi," the servant acknowledged, before he continued. "Fire Lady Mai awaits you both at the dining chambers. Supper will be ready soon."

"Dad?" Izumi asked yet again, softly this time, nearing towards her father. "What's wrong, dad?"

Zuko pecked her on the cheek. "It's okay, sweetheart, daddy's fine. Why don't you go ahead and join your mother for dinner?" He smiled. "I'll be following soon."

Izumi nodded, and proceeded to bow towards her father before exiting the attic's doors, briskly walking past the Fire Servant.

"Please escort her," Zuko requested, and the servant bowed as well, gave Zuko a stern nod, and in a second, began catching up with Izumi. Her footsteps, along with the Fire Servant's, were gone within minutes.

A heavy silence lingered.

Zuko was now left alone in the small attic, dustmites and cobwebs surrounding almost every crevice of the room. He clutched the collar of the necklace tighter—the blue had faded a bit from the time that had passed, but there was no hiding its vibrance. To Zuko, the cobalt of the collar and the pastel shade of the shard of gem shone brightly despite its age. He could swear that it was glowing as he surveyed his own carving further.

And there Zuko sat still, clutching on the collar of the necklace as if for dear life.

"_Would you hold still for a minute?" he chuckled softly as he fastened the collar of the necklace on her; Katara's cheeks blushed a bright shade of red, glowing in contrast against her chestnut skin_.

"_I can't—I'm-" Her breath hitched; she was stuttering, and her ears were now turning as red as her cheeks. Tears started to well up in her eyes. "I'm just—I can't talk right now—I-"_

"_Let me see you," Zuko turned her around gently, so that she now faced him._

_She spun around, her scarlet dress twirling as she did. Her dark, brown locks, now much longer than when they had first met, flowed elegantly up to her waist. She was still blushing, and her cheeks glowed as scarlet as her clothing; the only colors in contrast to this were her bright, blue eyes, and the betrothal necklace that now rested upon her collar._

"_What?" Katara asked, her bright orbs glistening._

_Zuko smiled, leaning into her. _

"_You're beautiful. You're so beautiful."_

"My lord?" a knock on the door surfaced for a second time, and before Zuko could answer, the Fire Lady and Princess (tightly holding her mother's hand) entered the dark attic, escorted by one of the Fire Servants.

Quickly shoving the necklace back into its container and into the chest, Zuko felt a cold sweat trickle along his spine. Izumi caught her father's worried look, let go of her mother, and in a second, came rushing towards the Fire Lord.

An as-per-usual gloomy smile escaped from Mai's lips. "She refused to have dinner without you," she sighed, and then chuckled. "I was getting hungry."

Zuko bit his lip, embarrassed. "I apologize," he said, while smoothing out the locks of Izumi's jet-black hair. "I told you to go ahead, didn't I, princess?"

"But dad," Izumi cried. "It's eel-trout and broccoli again!"

Letting out a short huff, Zuko gave his daughter a look of disappointment. "You know your mother likes eel-trout, sweetheart. And vegetables are good for you."

Izumi crossed her arms together tightly. "I don't want to have dinner if you're not around, daddy," she pouted. "Especially if the food's bad again!"

Mai rolled her eyes, and Zuko closed the wooden chest shut, began to sit up from his position, grabbed Izumi by the waist, and proceeded to carry her in his arms.

"But you promise to eat the broccoli if daddy's there?" he asked. Izumi began to rest her head on the crook of her father's neck. She nodded.

"But we have to play pretend while we eat, okay? Okay dad?"

Mai sighed. "Izumi, you're too _old_ to be—"

"She's five, Mai," Zuko cut her off and sighed before facing his daughter, cradled in his arms. "What kind of pretend do you want to play, sweetheart?" he asked. Mai crossed her arms and shot Zuko a look that cried "_stop spoiling her."_

Izumi did not see her mother as she beamed. "Okay, so you have to pretend that the broccoli and the eel-trout on the spoon is an Earth Kingdom war balloon okay?"

"Okay, princess," Zuko smiled as he carried his daughter out of the attic along with his wife, and the Fire Servant closed the attic door behind them. The betrothal necklace now rested once again inside the wooden chest of Zuko's past belongings, but it did not lay forgotten; it haunted Zuko for the rest of the evening, and in his dreams, he saw nothing but blue.

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I'd love to know what you think! This is only the first chapter. I'll be writing more. :D


	2. Legends

**Things to keep in mind while reading this fic:**

1.)** _This. Is. A. ZUTARA. Fic_.** **Not** a Maiko fic.

2.) After this chapter, the story will come in the form of one, big, fat Zutara flashback that will hopefully answer your questions!

3.) This fic is not as AU as it may seem, as far as I'm planning. I'm writing this while taking into consideration the canon events of ATLA and TLOK.

4.) It's 5 in the morning where I'm at right now. I just finished writing my thesis RRL, and finished this chapter so please bear with me if you see any typos! I will edit as soon as I get myself some shut-eye.

Enjoy!

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"Okay dad," Izumi smiled, holding a silver spoon in her hand. Tonight, it was hot congee with a bit of parsley on top, just the way her father liked it.

"Here it comes!" She continued, now nearing the spoon towards her father's lips. "Here comes the empire-class Earth Kingdom war balloon! Say 'aaaah'—"

"Sweetheart, isn't your father a bit too… _old _for this?" Zuko chuckled, his voice hoarse, but opened his mouth for the congee all the same.

Izumi shook her head. "Nonsense, dad. This is just like old times, remember?" She put the spoon back into its bowl before placing her hand on her father's wrinkled one, and smiled softly, grasping his fingers tightly.

Zuko began coughing.

Izumi swiftly grabbed hold of the pitcher of water that rested upon the oak table, and poured her father a glass.

"Drink," she ordered gently. Zuko did as he was told, and took a small sip of the water.

"You need more than that, dad." Izumi shook her head. "Have some more. You'll need plenty of fluids so you get your strength back."

Her father sighed, and, hands slightly shaking, grabbed the glass and took a small gulp of the water. As she glanced upon her father's current stature, Izumi was reminded of her childhood. Drinking her first glass of milk without guidance from either parent, she felt fragile, yet full of energy; eager, yet afraid. She placed her fingers on the bottom of the glass, helping Zuko drink. He gulped again, scrunching up his eyebrows, and made a face akin to one that had just taken bitter medicine.

"Dad," the new Fire Lord sighed, but chuckled afterwards. "It's just _water_—"

"It's a bit too cold for your father's taste." Zuko complained. "What do you say we share a pot of ginseng instead? I believe I have a collection of tea bags up in that shelf, over there." He pointed towards a single corner of his chambers, where one of these shelves, specifically, was adorned with china, as well as several glass jars filled with all sorts of tea leaves and tea bags, all labeled accordingly.

Izumi smiled, smoothing out the locks of her father's white hair before heading towards the shelf. From it, she retrieved a pot, some ginseng, two teacups, and a tray. Reaching the side table next to her father's bed, she poured just the right amount of water in both cups, and handed them to her father to heat ("Could you?" she asked, for she was unable to bend the heat on her own). Zuko took both eagerly, and heated the water, steam now emanating from the cups before his daughter added the ginseng.

For a while, it was silent, father and daughter both calmly sipping tea against the sound of the firefly crickets from out the window. Izumi would give Zuko a sad smile from time to time, but in return he would simply try to shake off his daughter's worry by furrowing his brows, giving Izumi a brief, mocking "tsk-tsk", and then smiling back.

"I told you that Iroh and I should have gone with you and Tonraq to that glacier of a prison," Izumi chuckled after they had finished their tea. "That Red Lotus woman wouldn't have lasted three seconds if she'd had a taste of the Royal Family."

"Well," Zuko chuckled back. "Maybe I- I suppose I _should_ have left it to you and Iroh after all, if all I were to catch was this fever." He laughed.

"You and Iroh would have had her roasted," Izumi giggled, but after a moment's notice, Zuko began coughing a second time. Izumi filled his cup with the ginseng once more, and after he had a sip of his tea, she held his hand in worry.

"Izumi?" Zuko asked, his eyes not leaving the cup of ginseng in his hands.

"Yes, what is it?" She replied, leaning in closer.

"Izumi, I'd like to ask another favor of you. Open the drawer of the side-table. No—the bottom one." Zuko said, gesturing towards the bottom oak drawer, which his daughter now carefully opened.

The contents of it were empty but of a familiar, elongated mahogany box, which Izumi was now holding between her long, slender fingers. She looked at her father confusingly, and Zuko gestured for her to open it.

"I remember this—" Izumi said, carefully grazing her fingers along the collar of the cobalt necklace. It seemed well-maintained, the pastel shard of gem that sat in the middle of the collar shining, almost hypnotic. "What is this?"

"I have a question for you, my daughter," Zuko said softly, ignoring Izumi's curious pleas. She stared questioningly at her father, who returned her look with a gentle smile.

"My daughter," Zuko continued. "Do you know where the panda lily sleeps?"

-x-

"On the mouths of volcanoes," a younger Zuko rolled his eyes. "Everyone knows this. They rest on the craters, and many have died trying to get hold of them for their lovers."

Katara stuck out her tongue. "Would you quit trying to be a killjoy for a few seconds? You're ruining my story!" On the seats next to her, Aang, Toph, Sokka, and many others were left in a fit of giggles over the two bickering friends.

"_Your_ story?" Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Panda lilies are abundant in the _Fire Nation_, where all the active craters are. There's no story. They've been resting there since the beginning of time."

"Well according to Water Tribe legend, they weren't." Katara crossed her arms. "So do you wanna hear the story or not?"

"Just let her tell us the story, Fire Lord Hotpants!" Toph shouted. "Unless _you_ have a better one?"

A chorus of challenging "ooooh's" bellowed from the circle of friends (with the exception of Sokka, who was much too busy licking the remains of his chicken-tiger wings), and Zuko crossed his arms as well, in utmost defeat.

"Okay," Katara began, eagerly rubbing her palms together before she started. "The panda lily, as we all know, is a flower 'most abundant in the Fire Nation', according to Fire Lord Hotpants." A few giggles were heard from Suki and the two other Kiyoshi warriors on the table.

"But it wasn't always that way, as you've all probably guessed." Katara continued. "Back then, panda lilies were abundant not in the craters of volcanoes, but at the bottom of the sea. And this is where our story starts."

Zuko's brows furrowed in curiosity. At the bottom of the sea? He'd read almost all the legends and folklore that the Fire Nation had to offer those that were born of its kin, and of one thing he was certain of: now that he thought about it, there was absolutely nothing on panda lilies. Perhaps they really _had_ originated from the Water Tribes?

"Long, long ago," Katara began. "There stood no land. There was nothing, and all lay barren, except for the sun, the moon (and the sky in which they lived in) and sea below.

Now you see, the sun and the moon had each other, and so in time, the sea became terribly lonely. She wove from her depths a creature- a giant fish of many different colors, colors that none before the time of the sea had ever imagined. He swam in her depths, creating a home in her, and for a time, they were happy together, and the sea was not lonely anymore.

But time had passed, and the fish grew tired of the sea- they could not live in harmony, for the sea did all that she pleased, but the fish did not see her as an equal, but saw her as a home; and so in turn, the sea wove from her depths flowers of many different colors, colors that none before the time of the sea had ever imagined. There they stood, at the bottom of the sea, and because the sea had loved the fish, she directed him to do as he pleased with the flowers that grew beneath her. The fish began to consume them with his heart, and he was happy.

But the sea was still lonely.

Tired of having woven the finest fish and the finest flowers that time had permitted her to create, she fashioned herself another kind flower, this time only of the purest black and the purest white (for she was too much tired to color them), and instructed the colorful fish carefully: "these flowers are mine to keep. You shall have all the flowers that lie beneath my bosom, but the panda lilies belong only to me."

For a time, the fish obeyed, and the panda lilies were only for the sea to keep. The lily in his beauty swayed against her current, and she admired him for centuries to come.

But time was not kind, and as it passed by, the fish had finished consuming all the flowers of the sea with his heart. All but one kind.

"Please," the fish pleaded. "I hunger. Let me consume with my heart the panda lily!"

The sea was appalled. She hid the panda lilies deep in the core of the ground that lay beneath the sea, to hide them from the dreaded fish of many colors.

Consulting the sun and the moon, the sea asked them each for help, and they each gave the sea, in awe, a gift.

"Ah," said the sun. "I will give you a place where the fish cannot venture in, so you may hide your panda lily." The sun asked nothing for exchange, but warned the sea that the ordeal would be painful. The sun began to dry up portions of the sea, and this is how land was formed.

"Ah," said the moon. "I will grant you powerful tides, so that the fish may be swept away by your waves and away from your panda lily."

And so the sea sacrificed her tides in exchange for the safety of her beloved. This is how the moon became the first waterbender.

The sea returned soon after to her depths, but alas! It was too late!

The fish had discovered the hiding place of the panda lilies, deep within the core of the earth, and consumed them all- all but one.

In her anger and despair, the sea, in her power, commanded the lands beneath where she hid the panda lily to rise- and the land did as it was told. They rose and rose, and rose. From this came the first volcanoes of the earth.

The sea wept, and the sun and the moon took pity on her. They punished the fish for its insolence, and the sun and moon took away his color. Together, they split him in two, in black, and in white; a curse that was forever a reminder of his grave mistake of consuming the panda-lilies with his heart. Still wanting nothing more but to remain whole again, to this day, they chase each other in an endless circle; Tui and La; push, and pull; darkness, and light.

Heartbroken but not losing hope, the sea admired the last panda lily from afar, which now slept at the crater of the volcano. She wept, but as she did, looked upon the new lands that surrounded her in awe. She longed to be with the panda lily once more, but as she surveyed her creations- whereupon trees began to grow, and new flowers began to blossom- she smiled upon her work, proud, but with a broken heart."

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_**On Izumi's Characterization**_

5.) Yes, as you've noticed, she's a bit OOC aka out-of-character. I've purposely done it that way in order to emphasize her bond with Zuko, which I think I would've been unable to execute properly had I written her in the same way she was portrayed in LoK.

6.) Not complaining, though, Izumi was a real bamf in that scene hohoho

I'd love to hear what you all think!

PS yes it's 4 in the morning and I made everything about the panda lily up so please tell me what you think if you can! :D


	3. Sleeping Turtle Ducks & False Analogies

_**A few notes**_

**\- As you may have noticed, I've added chapter names as opposed to just calling the chapters "Chapter 1, 2, 3," and so on. I hope you don't mind the sudden change.**

**\- Typos have been fixed. But as I don't have a beta, if you spot anymore in any chapters at all, feel free to point them out in the reviews section!**

_**On this chapter:**_

**\- Again a brief reminder that unless stated in the chapter title, everything from this chapter onwards will be pure Zutara goodness. No Izumi, no Iroh, or LoK references.**

**Enjoy!**

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The table fell silent, all eyes on Katara.

"What?" she asked, her eyes darting from one person to the next. "What's wrong? Was it that bad?"

Sokka was the first to break the silence, exaggerated tears flowing from the sides of his eyes. "That. Was. Beautiful." He sniffed. Suki and Ty Lee giggled beside him.

"Sokka, you've heard that story from Gran-Gran a million times," Katara rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know," he waved. "But it always breaks my heart, you know? It's always good to hear that story again. Never gets old."

Aang smiled, and put his hand on Katara's. "I agree with Sokka. It was beautiful."

Katara's breath hitched, and her hand shied away from Aang's from under the table. Before anyone could notice, the Kiyoshi warriors began to applaud softly, and everyone else followed suit. Katara stayed in her seat, blushing from her friends' responses, and looked towards Zuko, waiting for a reaction.

"Well?" she cocked an eyebrow towards him, smiling. "I'd like to see you top that, Fire Lord."

But Zuko remained silent, his eyes on his plate on the table, thoughts elsewhere. He blinked a few times, and proceeded to stand from his seat. He looked at Katara, and then everyone else, smiled, and bowed before exiting.

"Woah," Toph whistled as Zuko opened the dining hall's doors, and disappeared out of sight. "What's up with him?"

"He's been a little… off, lately." Ty Lee explained. "Ever since we arrived he's been acting a bit gloomy. I tried asking him what was wrong, but he would just say that he's caught up in Fire Lord duties and paperwork."

"Huh," Sokka huffed. "Well, you know Zuko. Maybe he just needs a little time to himself to think through whatever it is that's bothering him,"

Everyone on the table shrugged in agreement, looking at each other awkwardly.

"Oh, hey," Aang suddenly bellowed, trying to ease the tension up. "Look what I have!" He said, and from out of nowhere, he produced what looked like a glass bottle of alcohol, and everyone on the table began to cheer. Aang bent the air so that it held the bottle, and it landed on the table with a loud thud.

"Wait." Sokka narrowed his eyes. "That bottle's _empty_,"

"I know!" Aang beamed, picking the bottle up with the air again, spinning it around. "I thought it'd be great if we all played a little game of truth-or-dare tonight!"

Everyone on the table groaned, palms on their foreheads.

-x-

It was past midnight, and everyone was scattered around in the dining chambers; Aang lying in a curled position on two of the chairs on the table, snoring; Sokka and Suki on one corner in each other's arms (Sokka's mouth agape, as usual); and the three Kiyoshi warriors, Ty Lee with her twin friends Miho and Hiro, leaning against one another's back, their heads lolling. Katara smiled upon her friends; she had not been with them together, as a complete group, in two years. Tiptoeing gently, she opened the dining chambers' doors, and exited towards the palace gardens.

Aside from the moon, the only source of light came from a single (out of many) lamp posts, lit by a small fire. From afar, Katara spotted a figure atop the small bridge on the turtle duck pond, and slowly she began to near herself towards him.

"Hey," she greeted. Zuko stood silently on the small wooden bridge. Beneath it, the tiny ducks stayed afloat, unmoving and asleep under the starry sky.

"Hey," Zuko replied, although he did not look at Katara. Instead, his eyes drifted on the ripples of water that formed from the falling leaves of the elder tree next to the pond.

Katara stood next to him, resting her elbows on the barricade of the bridge. For a while they stood together without uttering a single word, with Katara giving Zuko the occasional glance. His cheeks burned a bright red, and Katara picked up a little hint of alcohol from his scent.

"You just left," Katara looked at him again, breaking the silence.

"I know." Zuko looked away from the pond, and turned his head towards the other direction and away from Katara. "I'm sorry," he said.

"You don't sound like it." She chuckled. "What's wrong, Sifu Hotman?"

Zuko breathed heavily, and finally faced Katara with a sad smile before turning towards the ripples of the pond again.

She did not want to egg him on further, and so the two stood atop the bridge for a while in a comfortable silence for a second time, Katara admiring the moon, and the Fire Lord's eyes still fixated on the ripples the leaves created.

She tilted her head so that she could clearly see his face; he didn't move. "Zuko?" Katara finally asked, softly, after she couldn't bear the quiet. "Where's Mai?"

"I don't know," Zuko responded stiffly.

Katara raised an eyebrow, speculating. "How can you not know?"

Zuko finally looked at her with empty eyes. Nothing else needed to be said.

"Oh," Katara stood frozen in a slight shock, unable to do anything except mouth a barely audible "I'm sorry." Carefully, she put a hand on Zuko's shoulder. His posture eased a bit as she did, relaxing as he let out a breath he did not realize he was holding.

"If you need anything, we're all here." Katara said in the gentlest voice. "Well— well at least _I'm _here, if you don't want anyone else to find out, and-"

If it had been any other person who had given him the offer, Zuko would have eyed them dangerously. He would have let every ounce of the remaining steam in his body to run out through his nostrils, and would have banged the nearest table with his fist, storming off in a fit of rage, in a nasty defense of "I don't need your pity."

But this was different. This was Katara.

And so instead, a small smile formed upon his lips, although it was a sad smile, still. "Thank you," he whispered, and she nodded in response.

"Do you wanna… you know," Katara trailed off. "Talk about it?"

He didn't reply, only stared off into the distance. Katara took this as her cue to leave, but just as she was about to take a step away from him and back towards the palace proper, Zuko let out a heavy breath.

"It was really unfair, you know?" He said softly after a while, looking at his shoes.

"Yeah?" Katara replied as she took a step forward, nearing herself next to him again. "What was?"

"How she sacrificed everything, the sea. She sacrificed everything she had because she loved the panda lily. But she lost all the same anyway,"

"She didn't lose," Katara said, glancing at Zuko, who was still staring downward. "The sea had something else in store for her. Something better. Just like you probably do, Zuko. I'm sure you do."

"I tried to give Mai the best of everything, as much as I could. But I guess it wasn't enough."

Katara sighed, turning her back against the barricade and leaning a bit into it, facing the other way.

"Zuko, listen to me." She said, casually observing her fingernails. "You gave it your best shot, right?"

"I did, but—"

"No buts." Katara said sternly, glaring at Zuko, whose head was now tilted, facing her. "You did your best. You did all you could. You were _enough_."

Zuko fell silent, staring at Katara's blue orbs. She did not smile, and only continued to look at him in a firm gaze in order to get her point across.

"You were enough," she repeated. "If she can't take that, then—well I guess it's her loss, then."

Zuko finally smiled at her, although a slight melancholy still lingered in his chest. But as he let out another breath, this time it was of an unforced ease.

Katara opened her arms wide, waving them around playfully. "I think you need a hug, Sifu Hotman," she said, and Zuko looked at her awkwardly, blushing.

She waved her open arms again, this time moving her fingers. "It'll help" she said. "I promise."

Giving in, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, resting his chin on her shoulder. Katara gently rubbed his back in return, closing her eyes.

"You were enough," she repeated. "Don't ever forget that."

"Thank you, Katara," Zuko grinned, carefully letting go of the embrace.

They watched the sleeping turtle ducks together in silence. "Can we feed them again tomorrow? Katara asked, and Zuko grinned, nodding.

"You should go to bed now, though." he advised. "It's really late. And where is everybody? I went to check on the rooms a little before midnight. They were empty."

"They're all asleep in the dining hall. With the exception of Aang, some of them were bit drunk, I guess?"

"Oh," Zuko said simply.

"Some of them, including you," Katara giggled.

"I'm not drunk!" Zuko hissed, but Katara put a finger against her lips.

"Shut up, you'll wake them up!"

"I'm just saying. I'm not _drunk—"_

"I know. You're not. So you had a bit of rice wine, but you're not drunk. Not _yet,_ at least."

Zuko cocked an eyebrow. "What? What are you talking about?"

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**Fluff coming up next. I hope ya'll are as excited as I am because I'm squealing in my seat rytfgyhjk**

**As usual, reviews would be of great help! I'll take in anything you give me, positive or negative. *places right hand on chest* Una swears on her honor.**


	4. Comfort in Rice Wine

**Probably won't update again until Friday, or the weekend, so until then I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! :D**

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A clatter of pots, pans, and the sound of wooden cabinets opening and closing echoed throughout the kitchen and into the servants' quarters in the next hall. In any other circumstance, Zuko would have worried over waking the servants and sages up, but tonight was different. Tonight was a night of careless bliss and merriment, and in all honesty, Zuko was much too unconcerned at what anyone would think if they'd ever come across this particular scene in the kitchen.

Because Zuko was gloriously, magnificently, superbly, and wonderfully drunk; too drunk to care.

"…And then I turned to him and said 'Uncle, _that's what all tea is_,' and he gives me this look that's just-" Zuko straightened his back, pointing his finger towards his chin, doing his best (or worst, in Katara's opinion) impersonation of his Uncle Iroh that he could manage.

Both he and Katara erupted in a chorus of laughter, almost falling off the long wooden stools that stood next to the kitchen island, everything in front of them a complete mess. They had managed to rummage through the pantry and drawers to find some food to accompany their rice wine. Katara had taken a few shots, but Zuko took more than necessary.

Suddenly, from the curtain that led to the servants' sleeping quarters, a figure began to emerge, and Katara and Zuko froze on the spot, forgetting to hide the jug of rice wine and thoughtlessly hiding the plate of fire flakes and gummies instead. The servant peeked through the curtain, before emerging wholly in the kitchen, his red night robes reaching the floor.

"Lord Zuko, we heard a disturbing commotion here from the quarters and—"

The servant surveyed the scene upon him, and he cocked an eyebrow at the two. A few locks of Katara's hair strayed away from its half-bun, and her blue dress now sported red blotches of food coloring from the fire gummies. Zuko, on the other hand, looked just as terrible, his crown sideways from where it stood atop his head, a single bit from the fire flakes they were eating dangling from his lip.

Zuko began to stand from the stool and curtseyed before the Fire Servant. Katara tried to hold her laughter from behind, but eventually erupted into a fit of giggles.

"Ah, Master Ching, my favorite Fire Servant!" Zuko's voice echoed throughout the kitchen. He sauntered towards him, and gave him a hard pat on the back twice before sitting back at the stool next to Katara.

"Actually my lord, it's Ying." The servant replied, now smiling at the two. "I see you've discovered where your uncle keeps his aged rice wine."

"Yes, it's an amazing place!" Zuko bellowed before jerking his head towards the pantry, the ceiling, towards the servant named Ying, and then back to Katara, nearing his head towards her ear in an attempted whisper: "Where are we again?" he asked a bit too loudly. Ying could not help but chuckle to himself at the scene.

Katara laughed, beginning to sober up. "The kitchen, Zuko." She rolled her eyes. "We're in the kitchen."

"Master Katara, I believe the Fire Lord has had enough to drink for tonight," Ying said, smiling warmly. He gestured towards Zuko, whose head was now buried in his own arms on the table.

Katara stood from the stool and bowed before the servant named Ying. "We apologize for the ruckus we've created," she said, blushing in embarrassment. "We can assist you in cleaning up," she offered. Ying cocked an eyebrow again, and looked at the groaning Zuko's now-slumped posture on the kitchen island.

"Uhm," Ying laughed. "I think it's you, Master Katara, who needs to assist me." He said, and began to walk towards the Fire Lord. Ying took Zuko's arm carefully, put it around his shoulder, and gestured for Katara to help. Sobering up, she did as instructed, and mirrored Ying.

"No, no, no, there's no need," Zuko groaned in an effortful reply as the three of them passed the curtain and disappeared out of the kitchen. "I can walk to my chambers myself," he said, again putting in extra effort into each step he took.

"I don't think so," Katara snorted. "Uhm, Ying, I think he's too heavy to carry to his room. Maybe we can bring him to one of the guest chambers instead?"

Ying nodded once, adjusting Zuko's arm against his shoulder as they walked farther away from the kitchen. Katara sighed, now feeling Zuko's weight on her. "Spirits, this was a terrible idea." She said.

Ying smirked. "Nonsense, Master Katara," he said, shaking his head in disagreement. "I have not seen the Fire Lord laugh in weeks! He deserves a break, and this reunion has done him very well."

They reached one of the empty guest rooms in a few minutes. Together, they hauled Zuko on the bed, exhaling heavily after they did so. Katara bended the droplets of sweat away from her forehead, and Ying lit the lamp with his hands, bending a small flame into the wick before he proceeded towards the door.

"I believe the room next to this one is empty, if you so desire to stay there." Ying advised before he bowed. Katara nodded, and Ying closed the door behind him. She sat on the bed where Zuko lay, letting out another exhausted breath, before pausing.

"Wait, what?" She said to herself a few minutes after Ying had gone, her eyebrows furrowing. "What did he mean, 'if I so desire?'" Katara frowned. She hoped that Ying did not see any malice between her and the Fire Lord's friendship. They were good friends, and that was all. She and Aang were on the rocks, and although Zuko and Mai had just broken up, that's all they were. Zuko and Katara were just friends. She sighed, and repeated this mantra in her head a few times.

Zuko groaned from where he was lying, abruptly bringing Katara's thoughts to a halt. He was shivering, his bottom lip trembling as he shut his eyes tighter. From her position, Katara stood from the bed, a worried look on her features, and she walked towards the window, shutting them and drawing the curtains closed.

"Katara," Zuko called twice. Immediately she briskly walked towards him, bouncing on the bed by his side.

"What?" she asked, and Zuko's eyebrows creased a bit in pain. Katara sighed, thinking about how much of a bad idea it was to sneak Zuko into the kitchen for a drink. How could she have known that a few shots of rice wine was going to knock him out so easily?

"What is it, Zuko?" she asked again, softly as she walked towards the foot of the bed. She removed his shoes and took the blanket from under his feet, placed it on top of him and tucked him in. Zuko stopped shivering at this, and so Katara thought it best to leave the room and let him rest.

"Wait," Zuko whispered, grabbing her wrist gently, as if he'd read her mind. "Don't go yet," he groaned, his eyes still shut.

Katara pouted her lip. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," he whimpered, barely inaudible. "I just… I need someone here right now."

"Does anything hurt?" Katara asked, and Zuko nodded gently. "My head's throbbing." He said honestly. "Like crazy,"

Katara bit her lip, looking around for any source of water she could use for healing. There wasn't a droplet in sight, and she was now faced with a little dilemma as Zuko pleaded for her not to leave. And so she began to rub her fingers softly against his temples, and after a while, Zuko finally softened his previously stiff position on the bed, finally relaxing.

"What are you doing?" he chuckled, eyes still closed. Katara rolled her eyes.

"You said your head hurt, and you asked me not to leave," she puckered a brow, but continued to massage both his temples, gently running her fingers in a circular pattern. "Do you want me to get some water? I can—I can just heal you, if you want,"

But Zuko shook his head. "It's okay," he replied softly, struggling to speak. "Just don't leave yet," he begged. "Just until I fall asleep,"

Katara looked at him in awe, and without thinking, her hands trailed away from his temples and towards the crown that still stood atop his bun. She carefully took it off, her hands shaking. His hair fell to his eyes, and cautiously, Katara placed the golden crown on the side table where the lamp that Ying lit stood; unconsciously, she began playing with Zuko's hair.

"Mhmm," Zuko sighed. "That feels so nice," he said. "Thank you,"

Katara chuckled. "Just try and go to sleep, Zuko. She replied as she continued to run her fingers through his locks.

But he shifted his head a second time against the pillow, and with effort, began to speak once more.

"No one ever did this for me before, not even _her_," he murmured, and Katara felt a sting of remorse in her chest at the confession. "Maybe my mother, but that was a long time ago," Zuko trailed off.

She continued combing Zuko's locks with her fingertips. "Shhh," she said softly, hushing him. "Go to sleep already, okay? I won't leave until you do."

"Okay," Zuko nodded his head gently.

She began humming, and she felt Zuko let out a breath as she began to resonate the melody her mother once sang to her. In a few minutes, Zuko's breathing steadied, his chest rising up and down. He was asleep.

Katara stood up, careful as not to wake him, and planted a quick peck on his forehead before she blew the flame of the candle out and headed towards the door.

* * *

**As usual, reviews are like, candy.**


	5. Fissure

The only source of light was that of two very dimly-lit torches, each standing at both ends of the hallway. Closing the door behind her, Katara squinted against the darkness, surveying the area further; against the light (or lack of it, she decided), she could make out the complicated shapes of the antique Fire Nation jars and dragon-ferns that adorned the walkway, their shadows long and unsettling. There was no one in sight but her, and she began to feel goosebumps set themselves on her skin.

And so, when a ghostly figure appeared before her, blocking her way, Katara stopped dead on her tracks.

"Ehem." The figure said, clearing their throat before proceeding to loudly tap the linoleum of the floor with their feet. Katara breathed a sigh of relief, punched the figure lightly on the shoulder, and proceeded to walk towards the area where the torches were present.

Toph raised a suspicious eyebrow. "What were you doing in there?"

"I wasn't doing anything," Katara answered in a rush, almost stuttering as she walked. "I was just looking for something."

"Don't lie to me Katara," Toph laughed, snorting. "Zuko was in there."

"He absolutely was not! I was just looking for- I had a headache and—"

But the earthbender sighed. "Let me rephrase that." she said, quickening her pace so that she and Katara were now next to each other. "It's not really a '_don't_ lie to me, but more of a 'you _can't'_".

At this, Katara finally let out a huff, frustrated. "Okay," she said in a hushed voice. "Zuko and I went to the kitchen to get drunk," she confessed. "He had a shot too much, and one of the Fire Servants and I had to carry him to the nearest bedroom."

As they walked nearer towards the torches and towards the exit, a smile appeared on Toph's face, grinning ear to ear. Before she opened the curtain that lead back to the kitchen, Katara gave Toph a stern look.

"Toph, I swear. Nothing happened in there—"

"Your pulse is crazy fast," she giggled. "What's going on?"

Katara tried to compose herself, and as they entered the kitchen (now all cleared up, courtesy of Ying,) she pulled out one of the stools and sat down, and Toph did the same.

"It's just that…" she began, and Toph placed her elbow on the kitchen island, listening intently. "Just don't let Aang know about this, okay? I swear nothing happened. I just don't want him getting jealous over something as silly as nursing an extremely drunk Fire Lord."

"Speaking of Aang," Toph started. "How are you two?"

"We got into a little argument before we left from one of the Air Temples on the way here." Katara let out a sigh. "But you know how things are between us. We'll be okay."

"I feel like you two aren't doing too well, in general."

"It's not that. We're doing great, but it's just—" Katara placed her palm on her chin. "It's me. I don't know what's wrong, but it's me. We've been together, officially, for a year now. And I love Aang, Toph. I do. But I just—"

"You're not happy." Toph said matter-of-factly. Katara shook the thought away, ignoring Toph's remark.

"I don't want to be selfish, Toph. Everything's already fine the way it is. I love him, and he loves me. And I feel that love, you know? He showers me with it, every day," she trailed off, now staring blankly into space.

"But if you don't seem happy, then—"

Katara cut her off. "I'll be okay, Toph. And I am. I am okay. Aang needs me, and I love him." Katara said again, reassuring himself. "I love Aang."

Toph shrugged in response, dropping the topic. "If you say so," she waved off.

They were unable to sleep for the rest of the night, staying up until sunrise. It was not until noon that Zuko awoke from the guest chambers with a terrible headache and faulty memories from the night before. As he opened the curtain that lead to the kitchen to look for an herbal remedy, he stared upon his two friends in awe, thankful for the time they'd spent together the previous night. They would not be together again, as a complete group, in a year.

-x—

It was winter when Aang and Katara decided to break things off.

The cold was more than she was used to, but at the same time, she decided that it was a fitting distraction. She settled the few belongings that were scattered around the igloo that they shared, packing them away in a small rucksack. Aang had taken Appa outside to fly for a bit, arguing that he needed some time to think everything through. There were no harsh words involved, no shouting, no unnecessary commotion; only but a civil agreement between the two, although Katara could agree that the whole ordeal was more unsettling for Aang than it was for her.

Taking a last look around their small home, she took off with her rucksack, Momo on her shoulder, braving the cold as she headed towards the village proper. Sokka would greet her back in their own home, although Katara decided to keep quiet about the new rift between her and Aang. Avoiding her brother's questions, she made herself some tea, retrieving the leaves from one of the jars that Zuko had given her as a farewell gift when the group departed from the Fire Nation. Granting that ginseng was his favorite, Katara prepared herself for a cup, and took a sip before chuckling to herself as she remembered her old friend; she longed for his company- no one was a better listener than the Fire Lord. She decided then that maybe he could pay him a visit and help him with paper work sometime in the near future.

"The Earth King is asking for us, by the way" Sokka began nonchalantly, slurping the remaining sea prunes from his bowl. "Something about the Fire Nation colonies and the Restoration Movement. Haven't fully read the message yet. We ought to pay him a visit,"

Katara shrugged, taking a sip from her tea and facing the other way.

"What's up? You're not blabbering today. Where's Aang?" Sokka asked.

"He went for a walk."

Her brother raised an eyebrow. "A walk? In this weather?"

Katara shrugged again, blankly staring at her cup of tea. "I don't want to talk about it," she admitted, hinting for Sokka to drop it.

"Well, you two had better fix things up soon. It's going to be a long trip to Ba Sing Se."

**Sorry it's a bit late/lack of Zuko is hurting me so I might post the next chapter soon. In the meantime, I'd love to know what you think! :D**


	6. The Capital and The Earth King

"_It's a long, long way—"_

"—_to Ba Sing Se!"_

"_But the girls in the city, they look so pre-tayyyyy! "_

"Ugh. Will you guys quit it? I'm trying to get some rest here!" Katara shouted, burying her face deep in one of the pillows. Sokka and Toph had thought of numerous ways to entertain themselves throughout the trip, from scavenger hunts to rice ball experiments in the kitchen cabin. Tonight, they crossed off another item from their childish (as Katara had put it) agenda: tonight was music night, apparently, and in the absence of a Sunghi horn—or any musical instrument, for the matter—Sokka and Toph came to a decision that belching out several of Uncle Iroh's many songs was the perfect way to pass the time on an Earth Kingdom ship.

There was but a single room that the three of them had to share. Katara, (wanting nothing more but to fall into a deep sleep in an attempt to hush her thoughts) pondered on almost nothing else but the excruciating trip to Ba Sing Se, and how once they arrive in the Outer Ring, they would have to take the train to the Capital. She turned to the side, feeling exhausted from the idea.

And of course, she also thought about Aang.

"_And they kiss so sweet—"_

"—_that you'd really love to meet—"_

Katara breathed out, heavily, hoping her two friends would take it as a cue to silence themselves.

"_The girls from Ba Sing Seeeeee!"_ Toph and Sokka finally chorused together, completely ignoring her pleas for a moment of quiet. They clapped in unison, giving themselves a round of applause after their laughter began to die down.

"Oh, come on, Katara," Toph nudged her by the side, flopping down on the bed beside her. "Lighten up already! Uncle Iroh would be proud."

"We _have _to pay the guy a visit when we get there," Sokka said, pointing his index finger upwards. "I heard he invented some new drink of sorts, and it's a huge hit in the city! He mixes his tea with fresh milk, and adds tapioca balls—"

"That sounds horrible." Toph raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, hush," replied Sokka. "You think we can get the recipe? I bet Aang would love to give it a try—"

But Katara had had enough of the commotion. She stood from the bed without saying a word, walked towards the door, and slammed it behind her. As she did, she heard her friends fall silent; the atmosphere inside, she suspected, had thickened.

In the cabin, Sokka' face fell. "What just happened?" he asked.

Toph faced the door, but as she was about to stand, she sat back down, settling herself on the wooden floorboards, suddenly deciding against egging Katara on further. "I don't think she wants to talk about it," Toph said. "Let's leave her some time alone."

Katara climbed the stairs and headed towards the deck, facing the sea. Her hands against the barricade and gripping the metal tightly, she felt a tear trickle down her cheek in annoyance. She had better tell her brother about Aang (and soon), she decided; she needed to save herself the trouble of Sokka nonchalantly mentioning his name every other minute. Katara had also had enough of "Aang really should have come with us" protests over dinner on board the ship.

She watched the waves of the sea crash against the ship below, drifting into deep thought.

It was a strange feeling, she mused, to have detached from a relationship that she'd told herself felt like home, over and over. Katara pondered further, and as she looked towards the night sky, she had come to a realization; a realization that she and Aang were together for so long that she'd forgotten what it was like to breathe, to tell herself that she was happy without feeling the slightest hint of guilt. Aang was kind, and the love he showered her with was beyond measure; there was no denying this. But as Katara continued to tightly grip the bars that created a barrier between her and the ocean below, the fact began to sink in: freedom was something she had taken for granted for such a long time, and she, piece by piece, fragment by fragment, began to realize the truth:

She had been lying to herself.

-x—

The Earth King was different, the three friends agreed, upon arrival in the Capital.

His stature strong and his posture incredibly (as well as almost unnaturally) straight. He fixed his robes before he spoke, clearing his throat. Beside him, his odd pet bear, Bosco, stood, fully clothed. Everyone fell silent.

"As we conclude," he said, "I, as well as the Earth Kingdom's council have seen it fit that we request for three conditions to be met, in order for the Movement to take place."

"First," the Earth King bellowed before the council awkwardly. "I understand that the Avatar needs to take care of personal business, as Master Katara has announced. But I request he be present in the next Restoration meeting, and the rest of the meetings to follow. I will take no excuses for his absence the second time around." He said, trying to sound a tad threatening, but almost stuttering.

"Second," he continued. "That the Movement be put into effect when all representatives from _all_ nations involved are present, not excluding the new members of the Restoration council, Masters Katara, Sokka, and Toph."

The three looked at each other proudly. The councilmen nodded sternly in respect.

"And third—"

The large chamber doors began to rattle, the wood adjusting itself as it skewed against the large metal hinges. A small group composed of four men entered the room, and in front of them, the Fire Lord marched forward, his long, red robes trailing against the carpet of the floor.

"Zuko!" Katara smiled, standing from where she sat. The councilmen (as well as Toph and Sokka) eyed her, brows raising, and at this Katara blushed, her ears turning pink. She sat back down, and welcomed Zuko with a stern nod instead.

"Fire Lord," she acknowledged, her lips a straight line.

But Zuko eased his features, smiling. "It's great to see you too, Master Katara." He greeted warmly. Katara blushed again at the gesture, glad to finally see him. She had much to let out after all the formality died down.

The Earth King, as well as a few members of the councilmen, cleared their throats.

Zuko straightened his posture, and bowed before his friends and the elders. "I apologize," he said before taking the empty seat assigned to him. "This will be the last time I'll be arriving late. I had some… business I needed to attend to."

The council nodded. "We were just about to conclude," the Earth King replied. "But ah, yes," he continued. "Third—"

Zuko furrowed a brow in confusion, before he shot a subtle glance towards Katara's direction. "Later," she mouthed, and he nodded a bit nervously.

The Earth King stroked Bosco before he proceeded.

"Third, that the parties involved stay in close ties—or better yet, _remain_ in the Earth Kingdom until the first stages of the Restoration Movement have been put into effect. I shall expect initial results in 3 months."

"_Three months?"_

"_What?"_

"_What?"_

Zuko, Katara, and Sokka looked at each other, dazed. Toph only raised an eyebrow.

"Your majesty," Zuko shook his head in protest. "Surely there must be some other way around this. How am I to see things through in the Fire Nation if I'm spending more than half of the time—"

"Master Earth King- _Sir_," Sokka stammered. "You know as well as I do that the Southern Water Tribe is currently undergoing negotiations to create further ties in the North. It would be impossible to—"

Toph shrugged, her voice barely audible in the middle of the commotion. "Well, I'm not complaining." She said.

"Silence!" the Earth King bellowed, his stature suddenly changing, almost threatening.

"I have made the proper arrangements with your councilmen prior to the meeting, Fire Lord, as well as the representatives from both the North and Southern Water Tribes." He turned to Sokka and Katara.

Zuko wanted to storm off in flurry of unimaginable cuss words. Sokka and Katara's mouths, on the other hand, were slightly agape. They sat frozen on the spot. Toph, in turn, couldn't be bothered by the decision, and Bosco, next to the King, began to roar, imitating his master's gesture. In fear, everyone on the table suddenly began to stiffen.

"The Restoration Movement, as I'm sure you are all well aware of, is of the utmost importance in re-establishing ties, and restoring balance." Said the Earth King. "The four nations have been living in peace for almost half a decade, and Avatar Aang has agreed as well, that it is essential we take this step. We cannot remain stagnant. We must_ keep moving forward_."

Just as Zuko was about to open his mouth, hoping for a compromise, the Earth King raised a hand. "Fire Lord, I understand that you, along with the Avatar, are responsible for spear-heading this Movement. Please," he begged. "At least consider it. Three months is all I ask."

* * *

**I promise more Z/K interaction in the next one, which I am currently writing. I felt this chapter needed to be up to explain certain things. I hope the pacing is okay? Let me know what you think ;)**


	7. Train

**Sorry this took a bit longer than I expected it would!**

* * *

"Three months. _Three months_. Does he have any idea how valuable all of that time is?" Zuko complained as he set the rest of his belongings in the foyer. The monarchy had provided them with a large villa for their stay in the Earth Kingdom, and the attendees began to haul his things towards his chambers. They began to do so with the rest of Sokka, Katara, and Toph's luggage, as well.

"Well he did say you either stay _in close ties_ with the Earth Kingdom, or remain here." Katara shrugged.

Sokka sighed, sinking into one of the couches. "And we chose the latter again _why_?"

Katara put her hands to her hips, pouting. "Look. We can't waste resources going back and forth from the South every other day. We'd be losing much more time." She explained, her voice echoing through the room, flailing her hands in the air. "Besides, we don't have the luxury of having Appa around every minute to _fly_ us, and—"

"Why not?" Sokka asked, shrugging. "He's kind of your bison now too. Don't couples share and stuff all the time?"

Katara fell silent, and so did the others. She bit her lip, which was trembling, turned her back, and for the second time since the commotion on the Earth Kingdom ship, headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Her brother asked. "Look, if you and Aang are caught up in some sort of mess again, you don't have to keep _dragging _us into it by walking out on us every single—"

But Katara had already gone, the sound of the door crashing against its frame resonating.

"Nice going," Toph rolled her eyes after the tension had died down. Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes.

Sokka let out a huff. "Am I missing out on something? What in the world is going on?"

"I don't know, but I'd better check up on her." Said Zuko, who began to head towards his quarters. "Give me a minute to change. I'll try to convince her to be back in time for supper."

-x—

It was almost sundown. Katara walked briskly along the busy streets of Ba Sing Se, one of her shoulders colliding with passersby every now and then. Before her stood a wide array of trinkets being sold on the streets, and on her other end, fresh vegetables were up for sale. She did not know what she was looking for or where she was going, only that she needed to be away from everyone; Sokka's cluelessness was tiring, and Katara bet Toph knew what was going on. It irked her that she did nothing, when it was Toph herself who tried to convince her not too long ago that she and Aang's relationship was beginning to become unhealthy.

"_You're not happy."_ Toph's words echoed through Katara's head.

"_I feel like you two aren't doing too well in general."_

"_But if you don't _seem_ happy, then—"_

But Katara's thoughts came to a halt as she suddenly felt a strong grip on her wrist. She stopped on her tracks, gasping so loudly that some of the passersby began to look up from their shopping as well. She quickly spun around, wrenching her hand off of the grip, and prepared herself in a battle stance.

In turn, Zuko let go of her wrist, raising both hands in mid-air.

Katara's eyebrows raised. "Zuko?" She hissed in a hushed tone, pulling him away from the market-goers and into a nearby abandoned alley. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Zuko hissed back in disbelief. "What are _you_ doing here? I've spent almost half the day searching the entire city for you!"

Katara sighed, folding her arms tightly against her chest in guilt. "I was just—I needed some time alone and—what's that on your _eye_?"

Zuko looked around to see if anyone was looking, and raised a hand towards where his scar was—or used to be—before glancing again in Katara's direction. "I figured I wouldn't be able to go out in public without getting stared at, so I had to put this on," he gestured towards the bandage that was covering his bad eye. It was poorly secured and all over the place, looking as if it was going to let loose from its wrapping at any second. Katara giggled.

"What?" Zuko asked, placing his palm on the white cloth that bandaged him.

"You look like a deranged pirate-mummy," Katara giggled again as she strode forward, fixing the pin of the bandages so that it tightened. "There," she said as she secured it. They began walking back towards the market and out of the alley.

Zuko let out a sigh. "What happened back there?" he asked, recalling the events at the villa. "Why'd you leave?"

Katara could have laid out a number of reasons as to why she had. "I've been stuck for five days with Sokka's sarcasm and Toph's stinginess on the ship, and I've had enough of it," she could have said. She could have stuck out her tongue playfully, and could have said something along the lines of "It's none of your business, Mr. Firelord," or even a simple "I don't want to talk about it," Katara thought, would have sufficed.

But today was a day of surprises.

"Aang and I—we broke it off. That's why he didn't come." she said, holding her arm tightly and staring towards the ground below. "He's in one of the temples, with Appa and Momo, meditating alone."

Zuko looked at her sadly. "And Sokka doesn't know?" he asked.

"No one knows. Toph probably does, but—I don't know," Katara shook her head. "I just—I wanted to be alone for a while, you know? Sokka wouldn't quit asking about it, and I feel like Toph knows, but for some reason it's like she's _invalidating_ what I'm feeling and just _ignoring _me and—"

Suddenly, something caught Zuko's eye as he curiously gazed upward, making him think back to the first trip that he and Katara had ever taken together, in search for the Southern Raiders. While he was grateful for her forgiveness (something he felt he still did not deserve), Zuko began to ponder on how he'd been able to repay Katara for the friendship that she had offered. He had betrayed her here, in this very city, below the ground. And even though they had fought side by side together in the war, and have had handful of happy memories during their little reunions with the rest of their friends, still, Zuko felt like _he_ had owed Katara a tremendous debt of the utmost gratitude.

And so before Katara could finish, Zuko lightly grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the other direction, walking briskly as if he was going to start running.

"What—where are we going?" Katara asked, looking back at the market. "The villa's back _that_ way!"

Zuko quickened his pace. "We're going away for a while," was all he said, a small grin playing on his lips.

* * *

**I'm almost done with the next chapter so hopefully it'll be up in a couple of hours :D**


	8. Falling, Ice, & Pink Ears

The station was different from how it had been the last time Katara laid eyes upon it. It was definitely larger; Toph had mentioned once about an extension project for the Inner Ring's platform, but Katara didn't suspect for it to be this grand. All sorts of people were now roaming around the area, as opposed to what used to be only Earth Kingdom citizens; on their backs were attires of many different colors, red, green, purple—some were even in blue. She smiled to herself; the Restoration Movement was, indeed, taking place.

Zuko didn't utter a word as they made their way towards the counter, a smug smile still playing around his face. Checking his pockets a second time (he did not want to make the mistake of paying in Fire Nation currency; it would certainly blow their cover), he counted his Earth Kingdom Yuans, fingers breezing through them after he did so.

"Zuko, this is crazy," Katara whispered. He had let go of her wrist upon arrival, and Katara couldn't help but keep sauntering at least two inches from him, as if she were afraid of losing her way. "This is crazy," she repeated, her right hand tightly gripping his shoulder like a small child.

But Zuko was completely ignoring her protests and pleas, carefully taking out his Yuans from his pocket again, and beginning to line up for tickets. The stout clerk behind the counter looked as if she would rather be somewhere else, and didn't make eye contact as Zuko purchased two tickets to the Outer Ring.

"The _Outer Ring?"_ Katara cried before raising a brow in surprise. "It's almost _sundown_! We're never going to make it to dinner if we go all the way to—"

But he hushed her before she could finish, putting a finger against his lip as they walked towards the stairs.

"Katara, I can't help you feel better if you're complaining _the whole time_," he said, rolling his eyes.

Katara began to laugh.

"Make me feel—w-_what_?" she stuttered, almost tripping as they climbed the flight of stairs that lead to the train proper. "Zuko, I swear. You don't have to do this. Sokka and Toph are probably looking for us. It's almost _sundown_," she repeated. "And on top of that—"

Zuko all but ignored her. "You said you needed to get away." He said, his hands creating casual gestures mid-air. "And that's what we're doing. _We're getting away_."

Katara laughed, but rolled her eyes all the same. "We can't just—"

"Katara."

"There's so much paperwork to be done back at the villa and—"

"Katara."

"We have to prepare ourselves for Yu Dao in two days, and we're never going to make it in time for—"

"_Katara."_

"What?"

Casually placing his change back in his pockets, Zuko turned back towards her, looking her straight in the eye this time; her pools of blue were shimmering against the faint light of the setting sun. They were beautiful, Zuko deemed to himself.

"Look," he began before letting out a heavy breath. "Don't overthink it. I'm here to make you feel better. After everything you and I have been through, I owe you at least this much."

Katara raised an eyebrow, snickering.

"You've made it up to me countless times already, Zuko." She said matter-of-factly. "I mean, you don't—you don't need to save my life _twice_," she chuckled, remembering.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it again as they reached the coach. Three very large-looking earthbenders were on the edge of it, ready to push the train forward. As they neared themselves towards its door (which opened courtesy of yet another bender), Zuko took a step forward, heaving himself up from the platform. He took out his hand, gesturing for her to take it.

"Just let me do this for you. This one thing. And after that I promise to quit trying to make it up to you. Okay?" He smiled his rare smile softly. "Trust me."

"I—" Katara beamed back, nearly hesitating, but took Zuko's hand as he helped her onto the coach as well.

"Okay," she blushed, smiling back and finally making her decision. Her cheeks reddening, she tried to shy her eyes away from his; but as she looked towards the other direction, she caught a glimpse of his golden orbs and felt her ears turn a bright shade of pink as she did.

-x-

The last of the passengers began to climb onto the train from the platform; the conductor started to make his last announcements for departure, and Zuko and Katara took the last two empty seats onboard the coach. The view was spectacular, and the palace could be seen from where the passengers stood, its golden roof glistening against the setting sun.

The train started moving, and as it did, Katara surveyed the people around her. To her right, an Earth Kingdom citizen was already fast asleep, his head lolling to the side. On the other end, three children, along with who Katara assumed was their father, were sticking their heads out the window to get a glimpse of the view. Some of the passengers near them were already standing, holding on to the train's handrails for support.

"Zuko," Katara nudged as she pointed towards the people that didn't have seats. "Look." She said, before grabbing him by the arm and pulling him out of where he sat.

"Hey! What's the deal?" he hissed, but Katara subtly pointed her finger again to the other direction.

On one corner of the train near them, an elderly couple stood; the old man was trying to grab hold of the handrail as he held onto his wife, who was too short to reach it herself. After a few trials, he was finally successful, and the elderly woman buried her head on the crook of the old man's neck.

Katara walked towards the couple, trying to maintain her balance against the moving train. Zuko, suddenly catching on and feeling the same sentiments, followed suit.

"Uhm excuse me?' Katara greeted warmly (Zuko smiled awkwardly). "Would you like to sit down?" she said, giving the couple a genuine smile. She shot Zuko a look, and he forced a smile as well, showing the couple a full set of teeth.

The elderly woman chuckled, tugging at her husband's shoulder.

"Sweetheart," she said, her voice creaking. "These two love birds are offering us a seat!"

Katara and Zuko both blushed tremendously, shot each other an embarrassed glance, and immediately looked at the direction opposite from the other. Katara realized that she was still clutching on to Zuko's arm after she'd egged him on to leave his seat, and instantly, she let go. Zuko placed his hands behind his back.

"Here—" Katara offered a hand after the awkwardness had died down. The couple beamed at both of them, and she assisted the two to the now-empty seats.

"Bless you, bless you both," the old man said as he thanked them, scurrying next to his wife on the train seat before winking at Zuko's direction.

"That girl's a keeper. Take care of her, you hear?" he said, waving his finger at Katara.

They both blushed a second time before deciding to pay it no mind (but not before shooting awkward glances at each other) as they both bowed respectfully towards the elderly couple. From his periphery, the Fire Lord saw the man plant a soft kiss on his wife's forehead, and Zuko smiled to himself.

"Well," Katara sighed as the tension between them lingered, walking to where the empty hand rails were. "That was—uhm—that was a bit awkward, wouldn't you say?" she forced a chuckle, her ears turning pink again.

Zuko looked at his shoes, forcing a laugh as well. Everything was happening too fast, and the Fire Lord felt he couldn't keep up with its pace, blushing all over the place.

"…yeah that was—_oof!_"

What happened next was a series of quick, blurry events. The train suddenly stopped, coming to an abrupt halt and forcing Katara to lose her balance. The passengers around her gasped, looking at their direction. Her legs began to feel like jelly, her feet losing their stability. Zuko caught her almost instantly.

"We're sorry, folks," the conductor's voice boomed from the front of the train after a few minutes. "Just had a bit of difficulty. I believe one of the benders responsible for pushing the train has been bitten by a small lizard-wasp."

"_I NEED ICE!"_ a faint shouting was heard from the other end of the train, simultaneous with the conductor's announcement. _"ICEEEE!" _The voice complained, which was similar to whining child.

Katara held on to Zuko; she began to regain her balance, clutching on to his shoulders tightly, and in turn, he held both her hands, helping her to slowly get back up.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "Don't—don't worry, I got you," He stammered. Katara stood, her cheeks reddening for the umpteenth time of the day. She fixed her blue skirt, brushing off the dirt that gathered on it from the fall, and balanced herself again. The train was still unmoving.

"I—" She forced a chuckle again. "I better go check on that earthbender," Katara said, stuttering before retrieving her small jug of water for healing. She smiled a small smile towards Zuko before disappearing to the other end of the train.

From their previous seats, the old man winked at him for a second time.

"I told you," he said, waving his hand in the air casually. "She's a keeper."


	9. Makeshift Rays of Sun

"Zuko, I'm beginning to think this isn't a good idea."

"You didn't think this was a good idea in the first place."

"_Ugh._ We shouldn't have gone this far. They're probably worried _sick _looking for us—"

"I don't see you turning back."

"Well, that's because I don't _know _the way back, Sifu Hotman!"

"I already told all of you to _stop calling me that_."

Katara let out an exasperated huff, scratching her head. They were now around a mile away from the station's last stop—The Outer Ring, walking through the crowds in the night. The sun had now completely set. Around them, hundreds of tents were set up, a makeshift market of sorts. The street lights, Katara noticed, were relatively dimmer than the ones in the capital, lamps that the flames were set up in made of a strange, cheap-looking material. People all around were bustling, bargaining here and there, and on almost every street corner, groups of men crowded around pai sho tables, gambling in hopes of obtaining enough coins to buy dinner.

Taking a short turn after the other, Zuko led Katara into one street after the next, turning left and right on almost every corner they reached. In secret, she didn't seem to mind- Katara hadn't gone out for an adventure like this, not in a long, long time, and so she smirked to herself, careful as to not let him see.

Finally, after a turn towards an alley, he pulled her towards a walkway that was almost void of light, narrowing more so as they walked further. On its sides were cans of garbage, the alley holding a strange smell of fresh fish and rubber. Zuko lit a flame with his hands, holding his palm out.

"Where are we _going?"_ Katara's heart was now racing from both excitement, and of fear.

"Look, just trust me." was all Zuko said as he pulled on her sleeve a second time. Rolling his eyes, he led her further into the walkway and towards the other end where a faint light shone.

"How do you even know where _you're_ going?"

"I just—" Zuko blinked a few times, biting his lip. He almost stopped on his tracks. Ba Sing Se was a topic he didn't want covered.

"I just know." He responded instead, giving her a stern look, gesturing for her to drop the subject. Katara caught on and fell silent immediately, thoughts shifting to herself and Zuko; suddenly it was as if they were trapped in the catacombs of crystal underneath the city for a second time, confiding about their losses. For a brief moment Katara looked at down at her skirt with sad eyes, the hem of her dress dimly lit by the flame that emanated from the palm of Zuko's hand, trying not meet his eyes. She wanted to think nothing of it, but inwardly winced at the thought.

Finally reaching the end of the narrow walkway, Zuko extinguished the fire he'd created, and turned his head towards the distance, gesturing for Katara to follow suit. Not completely dropping her lingering thoughts, her attention shifted to the view before her.

From where they stood, there was a field of knee-high grass, and not much farther out was a tall wooden fence surrounding them. A large acacia tree could be seen from afar, standing tall, but alone in the midst of the field across the fence. Zuko pointed towards them, and Katara gaped, raising an eyebrow.

"You took me all the way to the Outer Ring to visit some _tree?"_

Zuko ignored her, tugging at her again as they walked briskly towards the high wooden barricade. Katara continued to raise her brow at the acacia, but still following his path with her sleeve in between his fingers.

"Now what?" she asked as they reached the boundary, which was taller than they both were. Zuko sighed for the thousandth time of the day; Katara's questions were definitely a handful, he thought, as he gripped the edge of the fence, gesturing for her to do the same. Zuko began to lunge himself forward.

"You want me to-?" She asked, terrified. He chuckled in response.

"You're a master waterbender, and a war hero," Zuko said. "And I'm the Fire Lord. And we've both just survived and _conquered_ a _literal_ Hundred-Year war."

"Your point being?"

"It's a fence, Katara."

She rolled her eyes, finally giving in as they both gripped the edge of the wood together, lunging themselves forward as they climbed one at a time. Zuko reached the other end first, effortlessly landing on the grass beneath him. He turned his direction towards the tree nostalgically.

"So what's this about anyway?" Katara asked, dusting off her skirt with her palms before looking up to see yet another warm, rare smile radiate from Zuko's face, who from afar, motioned for her to tilt her head upward further.

And there, surrounding the lone tree, blossomed hundreds of prairie sunflowers, tiny but scattered in large bundles close to the acacia amongst the dry grass, creating a bright, yellowish ring around it. From above, the moon shone brightly against the flowers. Katara gaped at the view before her in amazement; it was like the sun descended from the sky to surround itself in front of the acacia before them, and the flowers swayed in the breeze like its rays.

Zuko looked towards the tree. "I used to, uhm—come out here a lot," he finally mentioned as he scratched the back of his head, reminiscing on his life as a fugitive during the war. "When uncle and I lived here, this is where I would go to for some quiet. The city can be loud, and can a nuisance sometimes. I stumbled into this place by accident."

But it was as if Katara couldn't hear him anymore, not over the sound of the tall, dry grass rustling against the prairie flowers in the wind. A smile began to appear on her lips, and suddenly, all thoughts of the ground underneath Ba Sing Se were gone as she ran towards the acacia.

"Wait—Katara!" Zuko called, rolling his eyes and running after her playfully. She reached the lone tree in seconds, carefully sitting down beneath it. Looking up the sky, the stars twinkled brightly from above the leaves of the tree as she rested her back on its trunk.

"This is amazing," Katara laughed, still finding it hard to believe that such a place existed. "I could stay here _forever!"_ She placed her arms behind her head, closing her eyes and feeling the wind rush against her skin. Zuko sat next to her, fixing his Earth Kingdom robes before settling himself on the grass.

"I'd glad you like it," he replied.

For a while they sat together in a comfortable silence, Katara with her eyes closed, Zuko admiring the full moon above them.

"Hey," Katara suddenly smiled teasingly, blinking her blue orbs open. Zuko looked into them, the faint moonlight shining against her pools.

"What?" He asked, trying to look away as he blushed.

Katara smirked. "I have an idea." She said. "Let's play a game."

"A game?" Zuko raised a brow. "We're adults. That sounds foolish."

"We're not _that_ old," Katara rolled her eyes, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

Zuko sighed, slouching as he adjusted his position on the grass. "Fine," he said, giving in without much thought.

Katara's smile widened, grinning from ear to ear. "Okay, so my friends from the South and I used to play this game when we were younger." She said, clasping her hands together in excitement. "It's called Secrets and Seaweed."

"Seaweed?" Zuko cocked a brow in dispproval. "That sounds really_, really_—"

"…so the point of the game is to spill a secret about yourself, something that _absolutely no one_ knows about you, give or take one or two people." Katara continued, ignoring Zuko before he could finish his sentence. "If you chicken out, or you don't want to spill your secret, you have to get a handful of fresh, uncooked seaweed from a jar in the middle of the group, and eat it."

Zuko hissed, his face scrunching up. "Why would I wanna do that?" He asked, horrified.

"Because it's fun, silly! And you get to know a whole lot more about your friends."

"That's absurd. How do I win the game?" He complained, folding his arms. "Either I spill a secret, or have my mouth full of slimy seaweed? It's like I'll just lose every turn!"

"You don't win, stupid. It's all for good a time!"

"It sounds pointless."

"Ugh."

"It does!"

"You're such a killjoy, Zuko!" She accused, pouting before him teasingly. He didn't respond, his arms still folded sternly. Katara pouted her lip further, lacing her fingers together in a prayer-like position. "Please, Zuko? It'll be fun!" she egged on, nudging his side.

Zuko stole a quick glance at her; Katara's blue eyes were still shining brightly, full of excitement from the thought of playing. Perhaps he should consider, he thought, but shook off the idea instantly.

"Please?" she asked again, nudging him by the side a second time with her elbow.

"There's no seaweed here, Katara." Zuko said, standing his ground. "We're in the Earth Kingdom."

"Well play without it, then!" she shrugged. "That way, it's easier for you. If you don't want to spill a secret, just say 'pass', and then it'll be my turn again. How about it?"

"No thanks," he said, his heart beginning to beat nervously at the thought; his secrets were his to keep, he decided, and his alone. It's always been that way, and will stay that way until the end of time.

"Fine," Katara said, a look of genuine disappointment in her features as her eyebrows creased. She leaned against the trunk again, staring at the night sky, a bit embarrassed that she'd even thought of bringing it up in the first place.

"Ugh," Zuko groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Okay. Alright" He said. "I'll play. Just don't—just don't give me that look," he said, sighing heavily. At this, Katara's eyes suddenly lit up, jumping up from her position and straightening her back, ecstatic. "Really?" she asked eagerly, a bright smile on her face. Zuko's lips turned the slightest bit upward at this, smiling back, nodding calmly.

"Okay!" Katara cried, beaming. "I'll start!"


	10. Secrets, Sans Seaweed

**All of your reviews are so lovely :( I wish I could respond to all of them, but I'm such an awkward turtle! So here's a little thank you for all of the wonderful reviews everyone has sent my way. I promise to make the best out of this story for you guys! :D**

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"You _didn't."_ Katara gaped at Zuko in shock, her hands covering her lips.

"I did," Zuko confirmed after recounting his tale, smirking at her. "I really did,"

"What did your father say?" Katara asked curiously, leaning in forward to hear him better; their voices were low, their tones hushed as they exchanged stories, feeling as if they were confined within the walls of a full, crowded room- but in the field stood no one; only the two of them, their whispers, and the sunflowers that surrounded them below the shadows that branched from the tree.

Zuko's face tilted into a frown before he continued. "Nothing. He didn't say anything. Didn't even acknowledge that I was there." He said, playing with his hands now. "I guess because it was pretty stupid. Stealing your father's cape and showing up in front of the Fire Sages like that—it was stupid," he repeated. "My mother laughed, though, when she saw me. But she told me not to do it again."

"How old were you?" Katara asked, genuinely curious.

"I was five." Zuko answered, smiling towards her. "I liked playing around with my parents' stuff back then, especially my mother's Kabuki masks. She used to be part of a troop of actors, back in her hometown before she met my father."

"What was she like?"

Zuko raised a brow teasingly. "That's not fair. It's your turn."

"What?" Katara huffed, feigning shock. "Fine." She said, crossing her arms together. "I have a secret about my dad, too." And Zuko gestured for her to continue, nodding as he smiled.

"When I was a little girl, a few of our tribesmen came to our house to meet up, to plan their strategies for the war." She explained, casually waving her hands around. "My mother cooked sea prunes for them, and before they arrived my dad told us to behave, and to dress well, you know? For formality's sake. He kept forcing me to wear this dumb dress with small shells at the sleeves, and it itched like crazy."

"What did you do?" Zuko asked. Katara began to chuckle as she continued.

"I wore the dress." She shrugged, but smiled vindictively afterwards. "But when the men came for dinner, I was so upset at my dad for forcing me to wear it that I purposely spilled a bowl of the sea prunes on his lap during the meeting."

Zuko began to fall into a fit of laughter, and Katara smiled, proud of herself as she nodded her head. "That's right," she said.

"That's insane," Zuko replied, his eyes slightly widening. "Where was Sokka when all of this happened?" Katara rolled her eyes.

"He was sitting on the table with the tribesmen, pretending to be part of the meet-up. He likes to feel important like that," she joked. "He pretended to get mad at me too, and told me off right after. I think everyone in the room cooed at him. He was five, and I was three."

Zuko shook his head in amusement, smiling at the thought of Katara's antics. In turn, she sighed, and pushed Zuko lightly on the shoulder.

"Okay, it's your turn again." She said, grinning. "What was your mother like?"

Zuko smiled warmly, reminiscing. "She was beautiful," he began, staring down at his shoes. "We used to feed the turtleducks every weekend, like a sort of ritual. She had really long, black hair that flowed up to her waist. When were a lot younger, Azula and I used to play together and hide ourselves in my mother's hair."

Katara looked at him sadly at the mention of his sister, trying to search his eyes. "I didn't know you two used to get along like that," she said. "Do you miss how you used to be, you and Azula?" She asked, softly.

Zuko gave her a stern look, and went back to staring at his shoes. "Pass," he said, and Katara nodded gently.

"Sokka and I wouldn't always agree on things, but surprisingly… he approved of Aang," she recounted, letting out a deep breath. "I guess it's because they're really good friends. He's gained his trust."

Zuko searched Katara's pools of blue again, looking for answers; they were empty. "What happened to you two? I thought you were doing alright?"

She fell silent, leaning against the acacia again as she stared into the sky. Zuko frowned. "It's okay," he said. "You can pass,"

"No," Katara answered, opening her eyes. "No I—I wanna get it off my chest. I've never talked to anyone about this, and it feels… heavy, like it's been dragging me down."

Zuko placed a hand on her shoulder, gesturing for her to stop if she felt uncomfortable, but she slid his hand away from her. "It's okay," she said, giving off a sad smile. "Really, it is."

"Aang and I—" She began, sighing. "I loved Aang. At least, I think I did, you know? He made me feel good about myself, showered me with all sorts of encouraging and loving words, praises, gifts—but for some reason, I—I don't know, Zuko. It didn't feel right. I was lying to myself. I settled too soon, and the moment that I realized what I was doing, I knew we had to break it off.

It felt like I was being choked, but without me knowing, or acknowledging it; like inwardly, I had a duty that I had to prioritize before anything else. He's the last airbender, and he didn't want anyone else but me. At least that's what he made it seem like," she said, staring off into the distance. "I don't want to talk about him that way, because he loved me so much. And I think I did, too. It's just that—I didn't love him as much as he loved me. It wasn't the same, not at all,"

Zuko nodded, understanding. "To be honest I— with Mai, I-" He started, but shook his head, deciding against it.

"With Mai, you what?" Katara asked, leaning in forward again. Their voices were hushed for a second time. "You can tell me anything, you know." She reminded him. "But if you want to pass again, it's okay—"

"That's not fair," he smiled before continuing. "Tit for tat, quid pro quo, a secret for a secret."

Zuko breathed out heavily, now leaning his back against the tree as well. "I don't know what I felt about Mai," he confided. "I mean, yeah, I loved her. I did. But there would be times when—" He paused, looking at Katara who was staring straight into his golden eyes. "There would be times when I would feel it wasn't worth it anymore, too. It was impossible to understand her. I tried to make her happy, but I—I honestly don't know if anyone's really capable of doing that. Spirits, I feel horrible for even saying it." He breathed. "Mai was so a wonderful at first, and it was like a wonderful challenge that the spirits gave me. Everything was so exciting. I thought it was going to be worth it, winning her heart." Zuko said sadly. "But after a while I felt like I was chasing pavements. There was nothing waiting for me at the end. I was fighting a losing battle. And I wanted to tell her that, because I wanted for both me and her to be honest, no secrets. But after I did, we just ended up in a screaming match. And we both knew then that we needed to stop trying."

Katara put a hand on his knee. "I'm so sorry, Zuko—"

"It's fine" he replied, staring off into the distance. "It's nice to finally confide in someone about all of this. I'm glad it's you," he confessed before turning his head towards Katara again. "Your turn, now."

"I'm glad it's you too," she said, smiling warmly. "And that's my secret. I find it so strange. I never thought we'd be friends, you know? It's so strange how everything's turned out. I used to hate you so much," she chuckled.

"I used to hate _me _so much, too," Zuko snickered.

"But did you ever hate _me_ as much as _I_ hated _you_?" Katara cocked an eyebrow, curious. Zuko scratched his head.

"I don't know, I—I never really thought about it that way," he responded. "I don't think I did."

"Why not? I was Public Enemy Number One, next to Aang," she shrugged. "It's fine, Zuko. You can tell me, I promise I won't take it against you. War Hero's honor."

Zuko locked his gaze at her before he continued. "I think that's my secret too, then." he said. "The secret is… I don't think I actually ever hated you. All I knew was that capturing the three of you was my drive for the longest time. That I needed to have Aang, you, and Sokka captive for my father. But to be honest I don't think I could say—I don't- I don't think I ever really hated you," he repeated. "Not really,"

Katara burst into a fit of soft laughter, and Zuko's eyebrows creased, frowning. "What?" He accused. "What's the deal?"

"Nothing," she breathed in the middle of her gentle giggles. "It's just—I don't know. I find it funny, for some reason. For the longest time I thought we _both_ hated each other," she said after calming herself down. "But I'm not taking it back," she said proudly. "I'm not even gonna lie. I hated you. With a fiery passion."

Zuko beamed at her. "That's good. I probably deserve that," he said. "Your turn."

Katara suddenly fell silent, her lips twisting into a slight scowl before looking away.

"Why?" Zuko asked, searching her eyes again, trying to lighten up the mood. "Do you want to pass? I still have a bunch of childhood secrets up in line, if you want to."

She shook her head slowly. "It's just that—I find it so silly. We fought together. And you and I, we've been through so much, and I remember—" She stammered, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I remember the war again. The comet. How you— you didn't have to _do_ that, you idiot-" Katara tried to hide her frown, a tear beginning to trickle down her cheek. Zuko held her hand tightly. "Pass," she said. But he only held her hand tighter.

"Okay," Zuko whispered. "My turn," and he laced his fingers into hers before continuing.

"I thought—I thought I was going to die that day," Zuko said, and another tear began to flow down Katara's cheek, both of them looking up at the night sky. "I thought I was going to be a goner for sure. But to be honest, I didn't care,"

She slowly turned her head to look at him now, curious as she cocked an eyebrow.

"I didn't care if I was going to die, or if I was going to make it out of there alive," Zuko repeated as he stared off towards the foliage from the tree above them. "I didn't care, as long as you were."

She began to grip his hand tighter as they stayed in that position, their backs against the lower trunk of the acacia, facing the stars on the horizon. Katara blinked her tears away before looking up at him; Zuko was calm and completely collected as he confessed. His breathing was steady. He blinked a few times as well before turning to face her, but Katara had shifted from her place, scooting nearer towards him on the grass before she gently rested her head on the crook of his neck. Zuko returned the gesture, leaning his head on top of hers.

"You didn't have to do that for me," Katara murmured, and Zuko held her, unconsciously caressing her hair as she blinked the last of her tears away from her eyes. He let out a snicker.

"I would do it again, and that's the other secret." he confessed. "I would do it a hundred times more if I had to."

Katara buried her head further into his neck, and he held her tighter, tracing circles on her arm with his thumb. She bit her lip, staring up at him; in the years that she'd known him, Katara was never one to notice these little things about Zuko. How his shaggy, black hair flowed elegantly down to his face, emphasizing his perfect jaw; his pale skin like porcelain, but soft like silk. And the scar that marked him, the scarlet protruding like fire…

She breathed out gently before opening her mouth again. "My secret is that—and mine can't be tonight's last secret—is that-" She stammered before continuing, slightly embarrassed. "That I've never felt safer with anyone else but you."

Zuko smiled, sitting up so that he faced her. He let out a heavy sigh, still holding her in one arm. She looked up at him as he beamed at her again, and without hesitation, planted a soft kiss on her forehead. Katara's mouth was now slightly agape, trying to hide her grin as she blushed.

"_That'_s my secret," he said as he leaned his head back against the trunk. "That's my last secret."

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**This chapter is my favorite one so far, I shit you not. The feels are real. Let me know what you think! **


	11. Taking Turns

**First of all, I am so, so sorry this took a while! I've been busy with some stuff aka schoolwork, thesis, my new job, and org duties. But tbh, I'm just really happy I found some time to squeeze this in. Thank you for the reviews while I was away! You're all lovely. Stay flamin'. *hearts***

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Faint rays of sunlight shone against every inch of her chestnut skin- from her closed lids as round as fresh almond-berries, to her rose-tinted cheeks, and pouted lips. Zuko watched her as she unconsciously buried her dark, toffee-colored hair further into the crook of his neck, her hands limply dangling on the blue fabric of her skirt. Katara was sound asleep.

The early morning train was void but of a few passengers- around ten in number- most of who were softly snoring their troubles away, as well. They sported garments of colors differing from the traditional Earth Kingdom green; in one corner of the almost-empty coach, a thin lady with lightly curled locks wore bright red robes, and a fairly large pendant that bore the Fire Nation Insignia rested on her chest. In another corner, a tall man grunted as a ray of light from the window glimmered upon him; his cobalt tunic was similar to Katara's, although hers slightly differed in that it was covered with tiny blades of grass and dry sunflower petals.

The train slowly came to a stop, and the booming voice of the conductor signaled their arrival at the Inner Ring. More than half of the few passengers stepped out, leaving only Zuko, Katara, and two others on board.

"Next stop, the Capital!" The announcer's voice boomed a second time.

"Are we there yet?" Katara yawned, slowly fluttering her eyes open. Zuko quickly turned his head towards the other direction; he did not want her to know that he was watching her as she slept.

"Zuko?" Katara nudged him against his rib, and he blushed, turning to face her again. Her eyes were barely open, her lids still lazily fluttering. "Are we there yet?" She repeated.

"Almost," Zuko replied, and as he did, caught a glimpse of a lock of Katara's hair that strayed of out of its place, bouncing near her lashes.

"What?" She asked, letting out a yawn. "What are you staring at?"

Zuko chuckled. "You're still tired," he said matter-of-factly.

"I know," she nodded.

"Go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when we get there."

"What about you? I bet you're as dead-tired as I am," Katara pointed, glancing at the dark circles under Zuko's eyes.

"Don't worry about me," He reassured her, trying to hold back a yawn as he smiled convincingly. Katara nodded, too tired to argue, and placed her head on his shoulder a second time. Slowly, she closed her eyes again, drifting off to a short, peaceful slumber.

-x—

The sun had still barely risen when they arrived back at the villa, its rays barely peaking, shying away from the crimson sky. Katara—barely awake- fumbled in her pockets for the front door's key, pushed it inside the lock, and gently opened the creaking door. They quickly passed the foyer as they dragged their tired feet towards the empty living room. Sokka's snores could be heard from one of the rooms upstairs; Zuko rolled his eyes as he chucked, and Katara sprung herself towards the couches, collapsing against the throw-pillows.

"I brought some Jasmine with me. Would you like some tea?" Zuko offered, gesturing towards the kitchen door.

"I want some sleep," Katara groaned, although smiling. "We stayed up all night,"

Zuko laughed. He decided against the hot pot of Jasmine and collapsed on the long couch as well, a cushion away from her. "I guess that's both our faults. But we had fun, didn't we?"

She smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, we did."

Katara kicked off her sandals, stretching her legs against the edge of the couch. She rested her head on the empty cushion between her and Zuko, grabbing one of the throw pillows and placing it under her hair.

"Thank you, for the adventure," she mumbled, turning scarlet. "That was—you didn't have to do all of that for me. Thank you." She said again, glancing upwards so she would catch a glimpse of him; his head was lolling on his shoulder, soft snores escaping from his slightly parted lips. He had fallen asleep, his eyebrows slightly creased from exhaustion. Katara smiled to herself, deciding to catch some much-needed shut-eye as well; it was about time they stopped taking turns sleeping since the train ride home. She closed her eyes and snuggled against the pillow, finally falling asleep again.

-x—

"Zuko." A familiar voice called.

Zuko grunted in his sleep, shifting his head against the opposite shoulder. His neck was beginning to stiffen; he felt terrible, although still too tired to open his eyes. Shifting his position on the couch once more, he felt a heavy weight on his lap. He paid this no mind, creasing his eyebrows again as he tried to drown out the world outside unconsciousness.

"Wake up. Wake _up._" The same voice nudged, but Zuko was too tired, and grunted a second time in reply.

The voice—whoever it was—seemed to have moved places, nudging on the weight on Zuko's lap instead. He was getting frustrated, and this time started to lightly scratch what little sleep there was from his eyes. He blinked them open, and as he registered his surroundings, was met with a very irritated Toph, kneeling on the linoleum while repeatedly poking Katara on the nose.

"What are you doing?" Zuko groaned, narrowing his eyes. Toph tilted her head upward at the sound of his voice, and breathed a sigh of relief. Zuko looked around; the light from the large windows suggested that it was late in the morning, probably an hour or two before noon. He started to stretch his arms, but suddenly remembered that Katara had somehow crawled up to his lap while they were asleep. He stiffened, blushing for the umpteenth time.

"What happened?" Toph demanded. "Where did you two run off to? Sokka and I were out the whole night looking for you both!"

"I just—I just had a hard time looking for her." Zuko felt a pang of guilt in his chest, lying his way out. "That's all."

Toph snickered teasingly, feeling Zuko's pulse rise after each word he uttered. "You two look really comfty, huh?" She remarked, her voice laced with sarcasm as she poked Katara's nose a second time. She waved Toph's hand away, her eyes still closed.

"Don't wake her up." Zuko whispered, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "She's tired. We were up all night."

"Oh?" Toph raised a brow as she smiled. "Look, I don't know what's going on between the two of you, or what happened last night—and don't lie to me, your heart's beating crazy, crazy fast—" she raised her index finger at him before continuing. "—but you'd better get clean up your act. Aang sent a messenger hawk last night. He's arriving at sunset. Whatever this is… he wouldn't like it."

Zuko sighed. "Look, Toph. Nothing happened. I swear. It really just took me a while to find her—"

Without warning, Toph suddenly pushed her palms against both of Zuko's cheeks, squishing them together near his mouth.

"What—" Zuko struggled, his voice muffled. "What are you doing?"

"Your cheeks are all warm and tingly. You're blushing."

"Shut up. I am not!"

"Are too, Fire Lord Blush-pants."

"I swear, we just—"

"Save it. I've pried enough." Toph chuckled as she rolled her eyes, letting go of Zuko's cheeks.

"But—"

"I'm just glad Katara's happy again. I feel her heartbeat. It sounds—peaceful again." Toph smiled, casually patting Katara on the shoulder. "She's been out of it the past few weeks. All moody and stuff, you know? Whatever you did, it worked. Thank you for making her feel better."

Zuko fell silent, glancing on his lap where Katara rested her head. He watched her as her chest moved up and down against her breathing, rising and falling serenely. He smiled.

Toph turned her back against the two of them and headed towards the kitchen, twisting the knob of its door. "That couch feels like it's as hard as rocks. You'd better take her back to her room." She said before disappearing off to the pantry, out of sight.

Careful as not to wake her, Zuko gently slid himself out from their position, slightly moving Katara's head so that she completely lay on the couch instead, without the support of his lap. Cautiously, he slipped his fingers under her, grasping her back and positioning her upright, heaving her up in his arms. Katara stirred the slightest as he carried her, her blurred vision registering his features. She smiled, closing her eyes again.

"Where are we going, Sifu Hotman?" She moaned in her sleep, dreaming good dreams.

"I'm taking you to back to your room. You should be more comfortable in there."

"Mm-hmm. Okay, Sifu Hotman." She mumbled.

Zuko walked past the few other rooms in the hallway, finally reaching Katara's after a few steps. The door was already slightly ajar, and as they entered, her luggage from the other day was sitting neatly on the bed, her mostly blue belongings in contrast with the olive green sheets.

He finally set her on the mattress, carefully placing her bags on the floor in order to give her more leg room. He let out a huff, and decided that it didn't matter if there was paperwork to be done for Restoration Movement tasks the next day; he felt like he would collapse any second from exhaustion.

But all the same, as if in a trance, Zuko watched Katara in her sleep; she grunted, softly snoring as she slightly shifted on the bed. Zuko was exhausted, but felt his heartbeat hammer against his chest; he was tired, but felt a fast, rush of blood pulse through his cheeks at the same time—his heart began to beat quickly, but was slow and mellow the next second- what a strange feeling, he thought. It was unfamiliar, but at the same time felt like home. He decided to shake it off.

From the curtained windows of Katara's room, faint rays of sunlight shone against every inch of her chestnut skin- from her closed lids as round as fresh almond-berries, to her rose-tinted cheeks, and pouted lips. Zuko smiled to himself before stepping out of the door, leaving it ajar as he looked at her once more.

She was beautiful.

* * *

**I can't promise updates as regularly as before, but I'll try to find time when I can! Rest assured, I WILL finish this story because I love writing and love all of you, my little Zutarian flower childre nk **

**Also, I have this new AU Zutara fic coming up soon (Just not sure when) but be on the lookout for that!**


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